(L-R) Colin Porter, Ryan Jones Jr., Isaiah Ihnen, Brady Kester, Kaden Metheny, Josh Smith
6 Flames Receive NABC Awards, Liberty Earns Team Excellence Award
7/15/2026 1:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A total of six Liberty Flames men's basketball players earned 2025-26 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court recognition for their efforts in the classroom. In addition, the Flames earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for an eighth consecutive year.
Liberty's NABC Honors Court recipients include Colin Porter, Kaden Metheny, Isaiah Ihnen, Josh Smith, Ryan Jones Jr. and Brady Kester. The NABC Honors Court recognizes players who were academically a junior, senior or graduate student during the 2025-26 school year. To be eligible, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.2 of higher at the conclusion of academic year and must have been a member of the varsity roster in 2025-26.
This is the second straight year Liberty has featured six NABC Honors Court selections. Over the last four years, 22 Flames have been tabbed to the NABC Honors Court.
To earn the NABC Team Academic Award, a team must have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the 2025-26 academic year. All men's basketball players listed on the varsity roster during the season must be included in the team GPA calculation. Liberty posted a 3.17 team GPA during the 2025-26 school year.
Liberty is one of only three schools in Conference USA to receive the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award this year, along with Western Kentucky and New Mexico State. Over 2,300 players from all levels of college basketball earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and over 400 programs received NABC Team Excellence Awards for 2025-26.
2025-26 NABC Honors Court
Colin Porter
Liberty's NABC Honors Court recipients include Colin Porter, Kaden Metheny, Isaiah Ihnen, Josh Smith, Ryan Jones Jr. and Brady Kester. The NABC Honors Court recognizes players who were academically a junior, senior or graduate student during the 2025-26 school year. To be eligible, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.2 of higher at the conclusion of academic year and must have been a member of the varsity roster in 2025-26.
This is the second straight year Liberty has featured six NABC Honors Court selections. Over the last four years, 22 Flames have been tabbed to the NABC Honors Court.
To earn the NABC Team Academic Award, a team must have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the 2025-26 academic year. All men's basketball players listed on the varsity roster during the season must be included in the team GPA calculation. Liberty posted a 3.17 team GPA during the 2025-26 school year.
Liberty is one of only three schools in Conference USA to receive the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award this year, along with Western Kentucky and New Mexico State. Over 2,300 players from all levels of college basketball earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and over 400 programs received NABC Team Excellence Awards for 2025-26.
2025-26 NABC Honors Court
Colin Porter
- Major: Management and Leadership (graduate student) (3.89 GPA)
- Second career NABC Honors Court award
- Named to 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team (third straight year)
- Earned CUSA All-Academic team honors for a third straight year
- Three-time CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient
- Tabbed to ASUN Academic Honor Roll as a freshman (2022-23)
- Major: Management and Leadership (graduate student) (3.29 GPA)
- Second career NABC Honors Court Award
- Two-time CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient
- Earned Academic All-MAC honors during 2022-23 season at Bowling Green
- Major: Business Administration (graduate student) (3.44 GPA)
- Fifth career NABC Honors Court award
- Two-time CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient
- Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree while at Minnesota
- Major: Finance (graduate student) (3.23 GPA)
- Two-time CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient
- Tabbed to 2020-21 ASUN Academic Honor Roll while at Stetson
- Major: Studio and Digital Art: Graphic Design (3.56 GPA)
- Named to 2025-26 CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll
- Major: Business Administration: Finance (3.25 GPA)
- Garnered inclusion on 2025-26 CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll
Another strong collective effort in the classroom!????? pic.twitter.com/BGGlYHLSTa
— Liberty Men's Basketball (@LibertyMBB) July 15, 2026
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